Hope
by Nutella-in-a-bowl
Summary: Hope is fifteen when she's in a life threatening situation, and confronts a certain red vampire, who gives her three options. Being arrogant and fifteen, she chooses the one to live, though then she asks herself if that really was the wisest decision- is vampirism what she wanted? Now Alucard and Seras have to guide her in the right paths, but the question is: will Hope let them?
1. Chapter 1

_We are all foolish when we're young. We don't appreciate what our elders do for us, we disrespect them. But as we grow older, we start to realise that they've tried to guide us in the right way, they've tried to warn us of our mistakes._

_And we sulk over the fact that we never appreciated them as much as we should've, because by then, it's already too late._

_I was like that. When I was fifteen, I was arrogant. I was strongly-willed. I made my own decisions, and once I put them forward, no one could stop me._

_I was rude, at times._

_I was harsh, at times._

_And I made the mistake of not appreciating what I had. My Mum had desperately tried to help me, she tried to give me advice, but I'd just shoo her away._

_Now she's gone, I'm sulking in the corner._

_Luckily for me, _he _guided me. My Master. He guided me in the right directions, in the right paths. He gave me advice, he taught me wisdom. He also taught me how to forgive and to forget, how to be strong, how to be confident._

_No, he's not a therapist. Nor a Mentor._

_He's Dracula._

_And he gave me hope._

I woke to groaning and loud noises. Curious to know what the sources were, I hurried out of bed, quickly shoving on my fluffy purple dressing gown.  
"Heya, Mum?" I called, "What's going on?"  
There was a loud screech.

Alarmed, I ran down the stairs, and stopped at the entrance of the living room, where the noises were coming from.

The living room door was slightly open. I peeked through the gap, and saw that the walls were splattered with red. I swallowed nervously, and opened the door slowly,

I gasped at the image that was before me.

_Red…so much red._

He was wearing red, too. That man. He was wearing a long, red coat, and a red hat. He wore a red neck tie, with black boots, waistcoat, and trousers. In his white gloved hands were two massive guns, one black, the other silver. On his face were round orange sunglasses, which seemed to glow, and prevented me from seeing his eyes. Black layers of hair peeked out from under his hat, and I noticed he, himself, was unnaturally tall.

My mother lay on the floor, her face blank, and somewhat more wrinkled than usual. Her skin was grey, and her eyes…her eyes scared me. They stared, disoriented, upwards to the ceiling. It was almost as if...she were a zombie...and...wh_ere had her big emerald eyes gone?_

Blood produced from her neck, and chest.

"Mum?!"

The man turned around, a smirked. I bared my teeth at him,

"What did you do to my mother?!" I yelled.  
"I ended her suffering."  
"She wasn't suffering!"

He laughed. It was a spine-chilling, low cackle of a laugh. I looked at my mother's body again, and my chest began to heave, as a putrid smell began to evolve- the stench of death.

"What did you do?!" I screamed. I stepped towards him, my fists clenching.

_This man had killed my Mum. He killed her. He murdered her for no reason._

He still laughed.

I raised my fist. He suddenly stopped laughing, and looked at me carefully.

_Ha. Not so confident now, are you? _

"Girl, don't move."  
"Why?" I took a step forward.

"I said: don't move!"

It was too late. There was a sharp pain in my neck, as blood spurted out from the wound. I peeked to my side to see a red-eyed woman with her sharp teeth clasped tightly on my neck. I whimper as she began to suck. I fell to my knees, my mouth wide open in pain.

Red Man raised one of his guns...so it was aimed at me,  
"Forgive me for this." The bullet hit me- half on my neck, half on the woman. The pain grew worse- much worse. It was nothing like I'd ever experienced…it burned, and stung, and ached in huge amounts. It was unbearable...it was nothing like I'd ever experienced before.

I fell backwards, and was unable to get back up again. No matter how many times I told them, my legs refused to negotiate with my brain. I struggled to breathe; oxygen got stuck in my throat.

I began to choke, and vomited a fountain of blood. I nervously look down to see bits of torn flesh hanging off my neck and collar bone. I whine, tears starting to fall down my cheeks, then looked pleadingly at Red Man, who had kneeled down beside me.

"I told you not to move," he said. I managed to see his eyes this time, and I was shocked to see that they matched his coat. _They were bright red._

I stared at him,  
"H-help…" I spluttered. A smile spread on his lips, and he chuckled. I stared at him, confused. He answered:  
"I'm just surprised you haven't turned into a ghoul yet."  
_Ghoul? What is he talking about? Who is this cocker? _

"P-please!" I begged, "Please…just hel-" blood came up my throat and out of my mouth, interrupting my sentence.  
"Don't talk." Then, Red Man sighed. His tone changed to gentle, "I'll give you three choices, girl. The first- I can leave you here, and you can slowly die a painful death. The second- I can end your suffering, just like I did with your mother. And the third…I can save you."

"H-how?" I asked.

"I can make you like me. A creature of the night. A parasite that feeds on blood, and sleeps in the day. A vampire."  
I said nothing, unsure what to make about what he'd just said. _A vampire?!_  
"Well?"  
"I-I'll live?"  
"Yes. You will live. So…do you want me to bite you?"

I let my human instincts make my choice. Naturally, I didn't want to die, so I nodded slowly. He smirks, and I notice his pointed white teeth.  
"You've made the right choice, girl." He chuckled, "My Master won't be happy with me for doing this…"

He places a hand on my cheek, and bends down. He licks a bit of blood from my neck, before biting into it. I gasped, as more pain spreads. This time, it paralysed my whole body, preventing me from feeling any pain.

_No...bring back the pain...I have to feel something..._

He moved his mouth away from my neck, and takes off his jacket, wrapping it around me,  
"Sleep, now, little virgin. Let my venom do its part."

I went blank for a few moments, before my whole world blurred out.

I hear voices, but my vision remains blank. One belonged to Red Man, the other belonged to a woman.

"_Alucard, I hope this hasn't become a habit of yours."_

"_No, my master."_

_"You know, Alucard…" I hear slow pacing footsteps, "You've never told me why you bit Seras. Now, why did you bite this young girl? And this time, I want an answer."_

_"She's young. Too young to die. Spirited, too. She had a full life ahead of her, full of joy…full of Hope."_

Hope. That's my name.

_"Is it possible that you're starting to turn humane, Alucard?"_

_There is a chuckle._

"_What's her name?"_

"_I don't know."_

It's Hope! It's Hope!

_There's a sigh._

"_Take her to the spare room on the third floor. "_

"_Yes, my Master."_

After that, a dream began to take focus in my head.

_There was a glass of water on a table._

_Why a glass of water?_

_Because I was thirsty…so thirsty. My mouth was dry, so I immediately rushed over to the table, and began gulping down the liquid. The taste suddenly went bitter, and the liquid turned red. I spluttered, spitting it out._

_Screams begin to echo in my head, and suddenly there's a pile of bloody bodies next to me. There's a mirror on the wall in front of me, and I nervously peer in it. I'm shocked to see my eyes bright red, and blood all over my mouth and clothes. My teeth are sharp and pointed, and my mouth is curled upwards in a smirk. Behind me, I see two red glowing circles…Red Man's glasses. I peered carefully, and I could make out a sharp grin._

_I stare, petrified at the image. _That was me. _That thing was me!_

I woke up. Gasping, I placed my hand on my forehead, and find beads of sweat running down my face.

I looked around: I'm on a large bed. The walls are old, and made of stone. There's a mirror and a dressing table on the far right wall, and a coffin next to the far left.

"Had a nice sleep?"

I turn my head to the doorway, to see Red Man. He was grinning an obnoxious grin that made me want to punch him.  
"Where am I?" I asked.

"You are in the Hellsing Organization."  
"The…Hellsing? Like vampire slayers?"  
"Exactly 'like vampire slayers'."

I looked away, confused.  
"You're obviously confused." He walked over, and stood at the foot of my bed, "You're full of questions. Well…there's only one way to solve that." He indicated for me to start talking.  
"O-oh…yeah…uh…what…what's your name?"  
"My name is Alucard."  
"Okay. What are you?"  
He smirked,

"I am a vampire, and servant of Integra Wingates Fairbrook Hellsing. I serve her orders. Should my master tell me to search and destroy, I do so without hesitation. Is that all of your questions?" I nod. "Now…I have some questions for you."  
I nodded again.  
"What's your name?"  
"I'm Hope."  
"How old are you, Hope?"  
"Fif…fifteen…"

Alucard sighed.  
"What?"  
"You were too young to die. That's why I offered you the chance to live…but I'd never imagine you to be _this _young… You're too young to understand the benefits of killing monsters…"  
"Wait- Killing _what?!" _I gawp at him, "Monsters?!"

"That's right. Monsters. Creatures that are like us, but are driven in the wrong path. The Hellsing Organization assures that these creatures no longer walk on the earth."

I closed my mouth, taking in the information.  
"So they're real," I said, quietly, after a while of silence, "Vampires and monsters are real."  
"That they are."  
"What am I supposed to do here? What's to become of me?"  
"You are to be a member. You will kill ghouls and maggots who call themselves vampires. Because it was I who bit you, you possess great powers in your blood."  
"What, so I can walk through walls and weird mystical crap like that?"  
Alucard smirked,

"You could say that. But to activate them, you need to drink blood."

"No. Freakin'. Way." I folded my arms, "I am _not _going to drink another human's blood."  
"If you don't drink blood, then it'll be like fasting. You'll grow weak, and eventually dry out and die. If that happens, then I might as have left you in your home to die."  
I frowned at him.  
"Oh, and in case you're wondering…" he continues, "You are my servant."  
"Huh?" I glared at him, "What do you mean 'your servant'?! I am my own person. I am not a slave!"  
"There's a difference in the words 'Slave' and 'Servant'. A slave does things against his or her will, and are not loyal to their owners. I do not own you, but I am your Master. For now on, you will be loyal at my side and learn what it is to be a Draculina."

"Ha!" I barked, "Do you know how childish that sounds? It's like two little children roleplaying in a Wendy House!"  
Alucard's face went serious. It scared me slightly,  
"Trust me, you'll eventually see that the world you live in is no playhouse. You had a choice, and _this _is what you chose."

I looked away, sulking.

"When you are ready, you are to go to the main hall. You'll find it easily enough, with your navigating senses. Am I clear?"  
"Yes…_master_…"  
"Good."  
He headed for the door, and left.

I climb out of bed, and my head spins slightly. After gathering myself again, I go to the mirror, and I'm relieved to see there's not much change in my physical appearance: my skin tone was the same, my eyes were the same…my whole face was the same. My hair hadn't changed colour or consistency. Still black. Still long. Still messy.

I grinned, (you know…as people do when they look in the mirror), and stared.

_My teeth…what was up with my teeth?_

My teeth were whiter, and each of them looked as though they'd been sharpened to a point. My canines were slightly more elongated than the others. I groaned. _Ugh._

I notice that I'm still wearing my pyjamas, and look around.

_I can't go to the hall in my pyjamas!_

Then I spot that on my bed was a set of clothes. It was a yellow uniform- a yellow, button-up, short-sleeved shirt, with a red and black checked logo on the left breast pocket, and a pair of yellow combat trousers. At the foot of the bed was a pair of brown lace-up boots.

Everything fit perfectly.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Apologies if the first chapter is all a bit sudden. But I'm planning a lot of...things for this story. There's a lot of surprises in stall for you people ^u^**

**I haven't introduced myself yet. You can call me 'Smeggi', and I'm happy to answer any questions about this story or the characters. (I have some OC's that are going to appear soon).**

**I hope you enjoy this story c:**

**Please leave reviews! Or I won't post another chapter. **

**Heh- I have an evil side, too!**

* * *

Cautiously, I left my room and stood outside it. There was a massive landing around me, with dozens of doors and stair cases leeading to other places. As much as I wanted to explore' I knew I couldn't. The hall was where I needed to go.

I took a breath. and headed down the main staircase. I turn

my head as I hear voices. but there's no one there.

"All right, Hope," I say to myself, "concentrate."

I close my eyes and listen to the voices:

"She's refusing to drink," I hear Alucard's voice says.

"That's no surprise," says a woman. The one I heard earlier. "Is she still in her room?"

"No, she's in the hallway, listening to us."

How did he know?

"You can come in, Girl!" called the woman. I follow her voice to a door, and open it to find a large room, with a round table surrounded by chairs in the middle of

Alucard stood next to a tall oldish woman. She had long, white-blonde hair that flowed down her back, and a piercing blue eye behind a pair of round glasses. She had an eyepatch on her right eye. She wore a dark green suit and trousers, and on her neck was a red neck tie- similar to Alucard's.

She peers at me, from behind her glasses. I nervously scratch at my fingers, confronting her.

"What is your name, Girl?" she asked.

"Hope."

"Hope...?"

"Hope Nightingale, Ma'am."

"I am Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. I am the owner of the Hellsing Organisation, and this estate. Are you aware of what you are?"

"Yes, sir. A vampire, sir."

"Do you now what your status is?"

"Um...no, sir."

"Due to your condition, you now work for me, and you are also my vampire's servant. You will do anything you're told to do by the likes of me, Alucard, Seras Victoria, and my mercenaries. Am I clear?"

I take in a sharp breath, and then I sigh,

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Seras!"

Within a second of the summoning, a young woman stood with us. She wore a similar uniform as me, but instead of trousers, she had a short skirt and high stockings. Her whole uniform was red. Her hair was short, layered, blonde and tied back in a scruffy ponytail. She had huge crimson eyes, and a kind look to her face,

"Sir!" She saluted. Then, she went out of character, and stared at me with curious eyes, "Sir...who is the girl, sir?"

"She is Hope. Alucard changed her therefore she is a member of the Organisation. Could you show her around?"

"Umm, yes, sir." Seras smiled at me,"Right this way, Hope!"

She leads me out of the hall.

* * *

"So, uh, did Alucard turn you into a vampire, as well?" I asked, after being showed around. Seras nodded,

"Yep. He did."

"And... Have you ever drank blood?"

"If I didn't, then my eyes wouldn't be this colour." She pointed to her red eyes. I blinked at her,

"Why did you drink?"

Seras sighed,

"I didn't want to, at first. But..."

"But?"

"But I'd been badly injured. My arm had been cut off, and I'd been blinded. I was nearly a gonner. The captain of the mercenaries...he saved me but...but...let's just say a lot happened after that. He died asking me to drink from him, so we could both defeat _that bitch." _She scowled at a memory, cleared her throat and smiled,"I understand why you don't want to drink."

There was silence as we walked up a flight of stairs.

"Will...being a member here ... threaten my life?"  
"It may, at times," replied Seras, "But usually, no."

I feel my eyes start to well up.

"Hey, it's okay!"she assured, comfortingly squeezing my shoulders with her arm, "It's not so bad being a vampire! Just drink some blood and get the worst over with."

"What do you mean 'the worst over with'?"

"Cravings, fidgeting, biting things, scratching things, having the urge to punch someone, weakness, migraines..." she counted her fingers as she counted the  
symptoms, "It's kind of like a period. You know what they're like, right?"

"All too well.."

There was silence once again,

"How old are you?" asked Seras.

"Fifteen."

"Oh, God...Master...what did you do?!" She shook her head, "You're so young!"

I swallowed. Seras smiled, to try and cheer up the mood,

"Well, you'd better get some sleep!" Seras said, brightly. I noticed that we were outside my room, "You need to reserve your strength."  
"But...it's only...five...O'cl..."

She shrugged, and walked away.

I entered my room, and spotted some changes: The bed was gone, and there was a dining table in the middle of the room- on it was an apple, and a bowl of red liquid. I nervously headed over to the table.

"You have a choice," said a voice. I recognized it as Alucard's, "You can either drink the blood, or eat the apple. Whichever you chose, I won't try to stop you."

"There's a twist, isn't there?" I called back, looking around for him. He was no-where to be seen.

"There's no twist."

"The apple's poisoned!"

"Even if it was, it wouldn't affect you."

"Hm..."

I sat at the table, slowly picking up the apple, and bringing it to my lips. I took a bite of it, and spewed it out,  
"EUGH!" I coughed, as a rancid taste took over my mouth, "What did you do to it?!"

"I did nothing. Human food will no longer taste as good as blood to you. Eventually, you'll give in and drink. You might as well take it now..."  
"No, I won't drink it!"

I took the bowl, headed to the en-suite, and poured the blood down the sink, washing it after. The smell...it made me sick.

_Yet it tempted me at the same time._

"And where the hell's my bed?!" I yelled. Alucard chuckled, his laughter bouncing cross the walls,

"To keep your strength up, you must sleep in a coffin containing the soil of your birthplace. After all, Little Nightingale, you are a vampire."

"Wait, how do you know where I was born?"

"There was an investigation on you. Your grandparents know you're here, by the way."

"Well, that was a quick investigation. I've only been here, what? One night?" I let out an exhausted sigh. There was no reply.

I took a moment to process what was happening. I'd been shot, bitten, and turned into a vampire. My mother was murdered by the one who I have to address as 'Master', and now apparently I have to protect a monster slayer.

Do I have to kill? Kill those things called 'ghouls'?

Do I have to hunt to stay alive, like those vampires in the movies?

_Who cares about that...Mum was dead. She was the closest one to me. I never really had any friends...I was too different._

I broke down, folding into a ball in the middle of the floor, sobbing. _Why was I so arrogant? I'd be better off dead..._

"Why do you cry, Little Nightingale?" I looked up, and saw red.  
"D-do you really need me to answer that?" I mumbled.  
"I did you a favour. You should be grateful."

I sat up, wiping away tears and staring at him directly in the eye, but said nothing.

"I know you have a lot of potential. I can see it in you. Don't let me down, Nightingale."

He disappeared.

Taking Seras' advice, I headed to the coffin. I frowned at it, but opened and climbed inside it anyway. I guess...I guess I would have to try and get used to the whole vampire thing.

* * *

"Um...Hope? Master and Sir Integra wish to see you..."

"Where are they?"

"In the meeting room"

* * *

"Miss Nightingale," greeted Integra, sitting behind her desk, which had a cluster of throwing knives on it, along with a crapload of paperwork, and a revolver.

Alucard stood beside her, with a smirk on his face.

I nodded my head once.

"We're a little surprised that you're not a ghoul."

"Ghoul?"

Integra smiled,

"When a vampire bites a human without injecting any venom, or even bites a human, the human will turn into a ghoul- a slave to the vampire who bit them. You were bitten by that woman, Alucard tells me. Something's not right."

"Well..." I said, "How does a vampire turn another person into a vampire?"

"When a vampire bites a virgin of the opposite sex, they will turn into a vampire, unless they drink all of their blood- then they will turn into a ghoul."

"So...that woman who bit me was either thirsty, or had the intention of turning me into a ghoul..."

Integra chuckled,

"You're picking up quickly, Nightingale. Do you understand what you are now?"

"I...I'm not sure," I replied, clutching my hands nervously.

"What do you mean?"

"I- I understand...that I'm not exactly...human any more...and that I'm supposed to kill other..._monsters..._but that's it."

"That's a good amount that you understand. Let me fill in some empty spaces- You work for me- the Hellsing Organisation. You will protect me as well as fighting and killing off monsters."

She allowed me to process the information, before indicating to Alucard. He grinned,  
"You are now a vampire," he said, "A slave to the night, a monster that walks upon this-"  
"-I'm not a monster," I stated, firmly, folding my arms. _I'm not. _

"You can believe or say whatever you want. You cannot deny the truth."  
I scowled. He continued,

"You must also drink human blood to become a true vampire, otherwise you'll just be a hopeless piece of flesh and meat. Your powers won't be activated and there will be no need for you in this world. "

_Hopeless._

_Was he trying to provoke me into drinking blood? Gees, what's the big deal on that? What's his problem?_

_Scratch that. _

_I'm not hopeless. I'm not a monster. _

_I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!_

"Shut up! _Shut up!_" I clenched my fists, "I'm _not _hopeless! Neither am I monster! I don't care if I'm not a human, I'm not a monster!"

My anger burst. I felt my hands stretch and reach for the gun and the knives on Integra's desk. I used all eight bullets and all five knives on Alucard, who stepped back a few paces, growling. I felt myself punching him in the face several times.

But the strange thing is, I hadn't moved from the spot I was standing on. My arms hadn't moved from my sides, either.

_I couldn't have thrown those knives...unless I had the power of telekinesis...__Even so, my so called 'powers' haven't been activated yet. I haven't touched a drop of anyone's blood._

I stood there, shaking in anger as Alucard healed his wounds. There was a silence, apart from his quiet chuckle. Before any more could be said, I charged out of the door, and toward my room. I sat, scrunched up, on the lid of my coffin, still shaking, but silently crying. Tears rolled down my cheek.

_"Ahah! Hopeless Hope!" they cried, shoving me into the mud, "You're hopeless!"_

_They all took turns to kick me. I laid still, hoping they'd go away. __My knee was grazed, and I was covered in bruises._

I was...

"_So if you times them together you get...Hope!"  
"Hm?"  
"What's the answer?"  
"Uh..I don't know, sir."_

_He sighed,_  
_"You really are hopeless."_

I was hopeless.

_"Get out of my sight, Hope!" Mum screamed, "You're Hopeless! I don't want to see you! Go! Away!"_

"Quite a vigorous past, you've had, Nightingale." He used a mocking tone.

I wiped away my tears,  
"Leave me alone. Get out of my head." A dark peal of laughter echoed inside my mind. I covered my ears, but it only got louder. "Get OUT!"

"You need to learn."

The room darkened to black. The only source of light was the mirror on the wall, and red eyes appeared all over the place. I whimpered nervously.

"You need to learn to embrace who you are," said Alucard, "You need to accept yourself."

"Not if I'm a monster!" I cried.

"Especially if you're a monster."

Master's face appeared in the mirror, and, remaining silent, he grinned. I swung my fist at the mirror, smashing it into pieces with one hit. The room returned to its normal state-apart from the fact there were smashed pieces of glass on the floor.

I stood still, staring at the broken pieces. Then at my fist, which was bleeding heavily. Baring my teeth at the slight pain, I took out the small pieces of glass that had embedded themselves in my skin.

"I'm not a monster," I muttered. "No matter what you say,_ master,_ I'm not a monster."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Just a side note-this story will change point of views, but the main protagonist is Hope.**

* * *

"What on earth happened to your hand?!" exclaimed Seras, pointing at my fist. The wounds had healed at an extremely fast rate, leaving behind a couple of scabs.

"Oh, that?" I said, "Um, yeah, I, uh... punched a mirror."

"Well that was a silly thing to do. Why'dya do that?"

"There...was...I saw a bug."

"Fair enough."

A young man entered the room- he was smartly dressed, and had dark brown hair, and blue eyes. His bangs covered his eyes slightly, and he had a very good posture. He was was a carrying a long case.

He looked at me and bowed,  
"Miss Hope... Sir Integra wishes for you to have this." He handed me the case. I blinked at him. _Why hadn't I seen him before?_  
"I don't think we've met," he said, "My name is Edmund. I've recently been hired to be Sir Integra's butler."

"Okay..." I replied. I set the case down on the elongated table, and opened it. Inside it was a black and gold embroidered metal sword case. I picked it up, nervously, "What's this for?"

"This is your weapon. Because you are legally too young to handle a gun, Sir Integra thought that a ninjaken would be more suitable," he smirked, "And if it helps, Master Alucard said that you seem more of a sword yielder. The blade is made from the melted cross of Saint Paul's Cathedral, and has been blessed and sharpened. One sweep, the ghoul's head just drops off. "

"Um...Edmund?" said Seras, smirking, "The correct word is 'wielder'. Not yielder."

The young man broke character,  
"Aww, man! And I was doing so well..." he shook his head, "Please don't tell Sir Integra, Seras." Seras grinned,  
"Don't worry, I won't."  
"Whew. Thank you." He bowed, "Good day." And left.

I snickered,  
"So Jeeves is new here?" I asked, "Who was the previous butler?"

Seras took a moment to answer,  
"A man named Walter."  
I was about to snicker again when she sent me a hard look,

"Don't laugh at his name or even him. What happened thirty years ago was not a laughing matter." She swallowed, "What happened was unexpected and... and..." she swallowed, not finishing her sentence.

"What happened?" I asked, feeling bad for taking the piss.  
"I'll tell you another time." She brightened up, "Now...go have a play with your new sword."

I pulled the sword out of its sheath. It was surprisingly light, and had a slight...spring to it. I waved it around a few times, and spun it. I smiled. I liked my new ninjaken. I lightly ran my finger up and down the blade, feeling a tingling sensation commandeer my whole hand. I continued to spin it around and twist and throw it into the air. I was actually having _fun _doing so. The sword twisted elegantly in the air as I threw it. If I were still human, I wouldn't catch it in time, and it would drop to the floor. Because of my _condition, _I caught the long piece of sharpened metal with ease. I smiled, doing a series of spins and twists, getting carried away.

"I see you like your new toy," said Alucard. I tensed, gripping the blade end a bit too tightly. It sunk into my hand, but it didn't hurt too much.

"Yes," I replied, "Thank you." I tried to ignore the blood on my hand.

"It wasn't of my choosing. I simply recommended it." He smirked, "It was that butler who chose that specific weapon for you."

"Oh...I'll thank him later."

Alucard nodded once, and looked at Seras,  
"Seras," he said, his tone firm. Seras saluted,  
"Sir!"  
"Our master would like a word with both of us. And gather the mercenaries."  
"Sir."

They were gone.  
"Hey!" I complained, "What about me?!"  
"_You go back into your room. See to that wound on your hand_"

Ah. So he saw that. Then, scowling, I sighed, "Fine."

* * *

I laid on the lid of my coffin with my legs up against the wall, and my ninjaken set beside me.

I was bored. Very bored. And kind of tired. Nothing really special had happened since I had been sent to my room.

I managed to tend to the wound on my my hand- a bandage was wrapped around it, but the wound itself was healing unusually quickly, just like the cuts on my fist when I punched the mirror.

_Crash._

"What the-"

Suddenly, something alerted me- shooting and groaning, just like on the night my mum was killed. I rushed to my door, but as I tried to open it, I soon discovered that it was locked.

_Wait...did it even have a lock? I'm sure it didn't before..._

I rattled the handle of the door, but it wouldn't open.  
"Hey!" I shouted.

A chuckle answered my call, and I growled with frustration. _Alucard._

"Lemme out! What's happening?!"

There was an all mighty boom,  
"And stay down, ya darn ghoul!" I heard Seras yell.

Was there an attack? An attack of these ghouls? Then if there are ghouls...then there must be a vampire somewhere in the estate.

What did they want?

The door suddenly opened with a click. A woman I didn't recognise stood in the doorway, and she walked slowly towards me, shutting and locking the door behind me. Her eyes were red, and she looked...hungry.

That was the only word for it. Hungry.

"There you are, Hope," she hissed, smiling, "My master is looking for you..."

Something about her told me she was not a member of Hellsing. Something told me she controlled the attack.

Something told me I should kill her, and I don't think it was just instinct. A voice in my head was commanding me. Alucard was commanding me to kill her.

I winced, backing away from her slowly.  
"Now, now, sweetie," she said, "There's no need to be frightened...I just need to bring you to my master..."  
"Who are you?!" I asked, backing up to my coffin, my hand reaching for my ninjaken.

"Now isn't the time for names, my dear. Just come with me and I won't have to hurt yo-"

I swung my arm. My sword went straight through her neck, swiping her head off. She collapsed, and a pool of blood quickly spread all over the floor. I gasped, putting my hand over my mouth at the sight of the decapitated woman. But for some reason, it didn't scare me as much as I thought it would; as much as it should've.

And there was a strong smell. Not the smell of death- well, yeah, there was, but it was mostly the smell of blood. A rich, bitter, metallic smell.

_A delicious smell. It made me want to bite something warm. _

Fighting my craving, I bit into my arm. Blood was drawn, but I ignored it. I just bit harder into my arm, and backed into the corner of my room.

"Master!" I heard Seras cry, "In here!"  
She rushed into the room, carrying what I could only call a_ big-ass canon_. She took a moment to process the scene, before she looked at me,  
"Hope, are you okay?"

"Mm." I was still biting my arm. Alucard entered. He was grinning wider than ever, the corners of his mouth literally level with his ears.

"Good job, Nightingale," he praised, glancing at the headless woman. I stared up at him, not particularly proud of what I'd done.

"If you're hungry," he added, "Then drink her blood. It's only common sense."

"No," I said, removing my teeth from my now- bloody arm. His grin faded.

A couple of mercenaries also joined us,  
"There's no ghoul left standing, sir," said one of them.  
"Good. Report back to Sir Integra," replied Alucard.  
"Sir."

Alucard looked back me,  
"Drink the blood."

"No."

"Then you will starve."

I didn't say anything. I just stayed in my corner, watching as Seras left. Alucard held my gaze with his own, before he followed his other servant out of the room.

Without thinking, I licked the blood from my self-inflicted injury.

_Why was I doing this? I let this strange man who murdered my mother order me around like I was his damned dog: _Nightingale, let the Wild Geese show you how to fight, Nightingale, go do this. Go do that. Do as I say, servant._ I take orders from an old woman who owns a big mansion:_ You are a vampire, you must do this, do that, blah de blah blah._ I was sworn to protect them both. Why was I letting this happen? Why had I not refused, or even- run away? Why did I let myself get thrown around like a rag doll? Why hadn't I gone back to Nanna and Grandpy's? I could, if I wanted too...but..._

_They wouldn't understand. They wouldn't understand if I refused to eat, or why my teeth were pointy. Or why I never aged._

_Wait. Vampires don't age, right?_

_No...I can't leave this place. I musn't. I don't know enough information about who...what I am and what I can do. It's my only choice._

* * *

_A week later._

"Um...sir?" I asked, nervously, "Who...why was there an attack? I meant to ask you sooner...but..."  
"Why indeed," replied Alucard, "But I expect soon we will find out. And I expect soon there will be another attack. Until then, be prepared, Nightingale. You might have to fight."

I nodded.

"I'm going to sleep. It's too early in the day to be up. If you have further questions, either ask me later, or pester the Police Girl." He disappeared.

"Well _excuse_ me." I rolled my eyes and folded my arms.

"_And less of that attitude."  
_

I scowled.

* * *

"Woof."_  
_

"Hnng?"

I woke up on the lid of my coffin, only to see a massive furry face right in front of me. A husky was curiously staring at me.

"Um...hello there." The mass of fur began nosing at my face, and sneezed.

"Woof..." He screwed up his muzzle, as if he didn't like my smell.

"If you think I smell bad," I said,"Then you should smell yourself one day."

I sat up, and he leapt off my coffin, and skipped around a bit, asking to be played with. I smiled,

"You're a playful one, aren't ya?"  
"Woof!"

I laughed, and also leapt off my coffin.

"Wanna play?" I teased. He bounced around. "Oh, but I don't have a ball or anything."

He sat down, and tilted his head to the side, as if he were asking me 'why not?'

"Ah! There you are, Sullivan!" Edmund freely entered the room, and attached a leather lead to the husky's collar. "Please excuse me on charging in here like this, Miss Nightingale. Sir Integra's dog has been causing mischief for what I wish I could say was the first time. Good evening." He bowed, and left.

I stood in the middle of the room, wondering what the heck just happened. I shake my head, chuckling to myself. Quickly, my face straightens._ I was bored_. Maybe I should go do some exploring?

* * *

**Alucard**

There was something peculiar about my newest fledgling. Well, there always is with the women I bite, but with Nightingale- there was something even more so peculiar about her.

And of course, I couldn't help but have a curious peek inside her head. The girl was brought up by her mother, who was raped and conceived a child when she was barley and adult. Hope herself was almost raped, when she was thirteen.

She'd always found it difficult to make friends, for many reasons- partly because of her difficult behaviour, and partly because of her scratched history. Hope would always find herself at he heart if misfortune, and it seemed she'd always get the blame for things.

Moving her history aside, I was sure Hope hadn't even touched a drop of blood, yet she had her telekinesis powers already. To add, when she was giving her new weapon a try, her shadow showed itself for a brief moment- a gradient green to blue matter. Now that's extremely unusual. And odd.

I was sure she was going to have a few abilities before drinking, like Seras did, but Hope...there's something something different. Something... not right.

And her blood...her blood tasted familiar. It reminded me of my brother's blood, but I could be wrong. I hadn't seen him for over three hundred years, and I don't wish on seeing him for another. I don't even know or care if he's dead or not.

I close my eyes in thought.

_This shouldn't bother me too much. _

_So why does it?_

I sigh.

I hear quiet breathing, and a tiny accelerated heartbeat. I look at the doorway of my chamber, and the small teenager in question is standing there, with a nervous look on her now- red face.

"S-sorry, I-I went exploring and I-"

"-Get out," I snarl.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Get _out_."

She disappears.

Why was she so familiar? And how? Was it her blood, or her face?- Or both? Why did she remind me of my brother? Maybe there's something I'm missing? I sigh again, massaging my temples. I had the feeling that I'd find out the answers to my questions soon. Too soon. Unsuitably soon.

* * *

**Hope  
**  
I made my way into a dark corridor. This part of the mansion had... an eerie atmosphere that made me uncomfortable. I felt like there were eyes inside the aged stone, constantly watching my back as I walked.

My attention drew me to an old wooden door that was slightly opened, revealing a dim light. Curiously, I peeked my head round, and saw Alucard sitting in what looked like an old wooden throne in the middle of the room. Next to the throne, was a small round table, with only his orange glasses and a wineglass filled with a red liquid on it.

Alucard's eyes set themselves on me, sending me an annoyed look. I feel my cheeks go crimson.

"S-sorry, I-I went exploring and I-"

"-Get out," he snaps.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"-Get OUT."

I slip out of the doorway, shutting the door behind me. I exhale deeply in relief.

I wasn't_ scared_ of him. Well, I sort of was, but he made me mostly feel intimidated. Like that sort of feeling you get when a teacher's talking to you, or a person you don't particularly like. You blush, nod, and hide away, feeling the tickle of butterflies in your stomach. Alucard intimidated me to the max. I don't know if it was because of his height, or the strange aura around him, or the way he stared into your soul when he looked directly at you, but whatever it was made me quiver.

And anyway, why did he want me out? It's not like he was doing anything- he was just sitting there, humming to himself. Is that what he does all night, every night?

* * *

**A/N 'Ninjaken' is the he proper name for a ninja sword ^u^. The more you know! ****I am aware that another character (Yumie) owned a ninjaken but ehh... ****And really, I need those reviews. ;-; But thank you to those who've already done so- I'm really grateful!**

**Just to let you know, I've read all of the volumes of the manga, including 'The Dawn', and watched all the anime and OVA episodes. The setting is in 2033, and the ruler of England by then is Prince Charles, because face it- our lovely queen is old and frail, and in her eighties...No disrespect or anything! Promise! **

**Also, in this story, Iscariot are starting to return to their usual strength, but it's difficult without Anderson.**

**That's it. That's all I'm going to spill out. I don't want to ruin Hellsing for those who haven't got far in the series yet. But a warning- this story will contain spoilers :3**


	4. Chapter 4

"Please, Hope. Do sit down." Integra indicated to the seat in front of her desk. Being polite, I sat down. "Now...I will tell you a bit more about vampires, and answer any questions at the end."

I nodded.

"Now..." she continued, "Not all vampires are monsters. Some are, but not all. The only reason why Alucard insists that you are one is because...well...before you find out in a...violent way, there is something you need to know. Alucard is Dracula."

I blinked at her. Alucard was..._Dracula? __Well that figures. Alucard is 'Dracula' backwards. I should have figured that out earlier._

"And Dracula is a monster. That makes whoever he turns into a vampire a monster too."

"B-but what about Seras?!" I stammered, "She's not a monster...s-she's a nice person!"

Integra smirked,  
"Do you know what the definition of the word 'monster' is, Miss Nightingale? An imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening. Vampires are basically killing machines. They have ... a switch, if you will, that can turn the nicest person - such as Seras- into the most vicious and terrifying creature." She paused, "I'm curious...Why won't you drink blood?"

I swallowed nervously,

"It's because I didn't want to become a monster, " I sighed, "But...you say...and Alucard says...that I'm already one. So I just...don't want to be more of a monster than I already am."

"That's understandable. Let me tell you something that I haven't told anyone before," Integra looked at me carefully, "When I die, this organization will be passed over to the Penwood family. If I wanted to, I could ask Alucard to turn me into the vampire, so I could always own Hellsing. But I don't like the idea. The idea of drinking blood, of gaining huge amounts of strength. No thank you, I'm fine with being human. Although...I wouldn't mind being young again." She smiled, staying quiet for a few moments, before asking: "Any questions?"

I shook my head,  
"No, sir," I answered.

"You may leave."

"Thank you, sir."

I exited through the huge doors, and headed down the main staircase. I heard familiar heavy footsteps travel along the landing, and they stopped,  
"Miss Nightingale, " called Alucard, from the top of the stairs.  
I looked up at him with a bored expression,  
"Hm?"

"I want to find out how much power you have."

"Sorry?"

"He wants to engage in a duel," said Seras, entering the hallway. She had a nervous expression on her face, like she didn't think the idea was a good one.

"Um..." I bit my lip, unsure,"I've never been in a duel before."

"That's fine," replied Alucard, drawing his guns from his jacket,"There's a first time for everyone."

"When do we start?" I drew my own weapon, slinging it around a little.

"Now." He shot at me several times. _Was he serious? Those were blessed bullets! They could end my un-life as easily a kid could end an ant's!_

My reflexes twitched, and my sword deflected the speeding bullets. Alucard grinned maniacally,

"Attack me, Nightingale!" he urged, desperately."Use your powers! Summon your inner demon!"

"Master..."warned Seras.

Despite being at the bottom of the main staircase, and he was at the top, I punched him hard several times- in the face, crotch, ribs; places where it hurt the most.

Alucard laughed, as if he liked the pain,  
"Excellent!" he cried,"Just excellent! Attack me some more!"

I stared at him. I couldn't just attack him viscously for no reason! But wait...

_ I was a monster in his eyes. A thing. He knew he'd made me a monster- it was his intention. I'm not an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening. I'm not...I'm not...I'M FUCKING NOT._

Fury suddenly bubbled inside me as I felt myself snap.

**Alucard**

Her eyes changed colour- from emerald, to a burning crimson and orange inferno. Her teeth were bared, and her fangs were elongated, and under her breath, she was growling like an angry dog.

_This is good, Nightingale, you're even stronger than I thought._

She attacked me in person, now. In a series of complex spins, flicks and swings, Hope swiped at me with her ninjaken, opening new injuries on my face. Her skin glowed gradient green and blue as her shadow revealed itself, wrapping her body, and her weapon, fuelling her vicious attacks.

She was extremely strong. Too strong for a newborn._ But why? I want to know why..._

What she did next surprised me.

She bit me. The little Nightingale had her pointy little teeth buried in my forearm. She wasn't drinking my blood, she was simply giving me what I wish I could call a "nip". The material of my jacket split completely, as did the material of my shirt. No, this definitely was nowhere near a "nip"-her teeth burned my skin, and crushed through the bone as easily as if it were butter.

Her bite, unlike most of the ones my opponents give, actually hurt. _It hurt a lot._

She retracted her fangs, removing her mouth from my now-bloody arm. She spat out my blood, and glared at me. Then, she vanished.

I looked at my injury for a moment, recalling the force she bit down on it.

"Master," said a familiar surprised but melodic voice,"She bit you!"

"Yes," I replied, "So it seems..." I watched as my bone fixed and my skin sealed up. Two marks where her fangs were remained on my skin.

"She's strong," Seras said, "And to think she hasn't had any blood...Master... There's something different about her."

"I know," I said,"And I plan to find out what. At least it's something to do to ease my boredom..."

My servant sighed at my attitude, before heading elsewhere.

I rolled up my sleeve, and stared at the two pin-like marks on my arm. The pain of her teeth reminded me of Anderson's bayonets. But the question was- _why? Why was my fledgling so different? What made her different?_

**Hope  
**As fast as I could, I charged for my room. I had to take several deep breaths to calm myself down. That didn't work.

Why was I so angry? I'd come close to tearing his arm off, and I nearly drank his putrid blood. I nearly swallowed that foul liquid that courses through his veins. Why did I bite him? Because I wanted to. I wanted to rip him into a bloody mess. To tear his limbs, to gouge his eyes.

God, I was angry.

_But he's your master, Hope. You're supposed to respect him- he's the reason why you're alive._

So what? I don't care if he's the bloody king- I still want to rip him apart!

_But why?_

Partly because he told me to, but mostly because he's insisting that I'm a monster!

_You say you want to gouge his eyes, and tear his limbs. I don't think that's very humane. I'd say that's more monster-like._

I sigh out loud. That's it. I am a monster. Why couldn't I just face the facts?

_I'm still not going to drink blood, though._

I was now considerably calmer, and my adrenaline levels had dropped almost completely. Slowly, I was drenched in a wash of embarrassment: I'd bit him, I bit Alucard. That's not normal- that's just weird. My teeth had sunk right through the bone, and I don't think that's normal, either.

I sigh again. So I was a monster. Yeah, that sounds about right. Though, it isn't new news, when I think about it. Deep inside me, my demon always lurked, even when I was human:

_"Hey, can I play?" I asked, walking up to a group of boys playing with toy diggers in the sandbox. They all scowled,_

_"No! Get let lost!" snapped one of them._

_"Why cant I play? Is it because I'm a girl?"_

_"No, it's because you're weird. Get lost, freak!"_

_My anger boiled, and I picked up one of the toy diggers, and smacked him around the head with it. There was a crack, and he fell backwards, unconscious._

_"Now can I play?" I asked. I didn't get a reply because the teaching assistant dragged me away,_

_"Hope!" she gasped, taking me inside the nursery building. The next day, a bunch of teachers had me taken into a room...no, they were social workers and counsellors._

_"Hope," one of them said sternly,"The little boy you hit with the toy is very... sick. He's in a bad condition."_

_"All I wanted to do was play with them!" I cried, feeling guilt wash over me,"I only meant to tell him off!"_

_"We understand that. But if you keep hitting the other children, then we're going to have to send you to another school."_

Yes. I've always been a monster. But also the prey of other monsters:

_It was dark, and I was returning home from my grandparent's house. The distance between the two places only took ten minutes to wall, so I didn't think I was in any danger._

_How wrong I was._

_I was thirteen, and walking down a dark alley at six o'clock at night in autumn. I heard raucous laughter, and two drunks were flailing around with bottles in their hands. I tried to ignore them as I walked past, but they called after me,_  
_"Oi! Darlin'!" one of them called,"Hang around us for a bit!"_  
_  
I didn't look back. I shrieked as someone grabbed my shoulder,_  
_  
"Hey! I'm talking ta' you!" he grinned evilly,"come stay with us, love, have a bit of fun!"_

_I shoved his hand off my shoulder,_  
_"Yeah, no thanks," I frowned,"I'm thirteen. I need to get home, so excuse me-" I yelped. The other man in the group grabbed me by the hair and pulled me back,_

_"Ooh," he said,"A pretty one, aren't ya! Whadd'ya say, Carl? Shall we fuck the bitch?"_

_"Good idea." I was held back by the accomplice, whilst the one called Carl unzipped my jacket._

_"Hey, get off!" I cried,"Someone help!"_

_They laughed at my feeble attempt to escape. Oh God, he was going for my trousers. He was unlocking the button and unzipping my fly...he w-_

_The was a loud scream that came from my immobiliser, and I felt a warm liquid run down my neck. His grip loosened on my hair and fell backwards. I turned around and gasped at the sight- his head was only attached to his body by a few strands of meat._

_Carl also gasped,_  
_"Hey, Dan?! What the fu-" his chest literally exploded. I stared at the mess of blood and meat, feeling my chest heave. I looked around- there was no one to be seen. Quickly, I fastened my trousers and zipped my coat and legged it away from the scene._

That image of the mutilated bodies always haunted me. I don't know why it happened, but I think someone killed them. A vampire, maybe? I don't know, and I guess I never will.

I looked up from my sitting position as Seras entered my room,  
"Hiya," she greeted. I smiled weakly,

"Hello."

"How are you feeling? Are you all right?"

"Mm. Am now. Why?"

"Just general concern," she smiled, and left.

_I don't believe it. Seras was a monster? She was such a sweet person? Yeah, she killed a few dozen of those ghouls when there was that attack, but she wouldn't really do anything more than shoot them, would she? She wouldn't tear them to shreds...or gouge their eyes out...or..._

_What if she would?_

_And what if I would, too?_

* * *

_Later that evening_

Just like most of my nights at Hellsing, I was bored, doing nothing in my room.

_I suppose I should go and apologise to Alucard. I mean, what the hell was wrong with me? A punch in the face is understandable, but a munch on the arm?_

* * *

Half wanting to turn around and coo over a dozen pictures of kittens, I nervously travelled down the dark stone corridor to Alucard's...dungeon. The almost familiar feeling of being watched embraced me again.

I got to the door of Alucard's 'room', and I took a deep breath, before opening it. As usual, he was sat on his 'throne.'

"Alucard...um.._.master_...I-"  
"-You want to apologise for biting me earlier," he said, probably reading my mind."I know."  
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't know what made me..."

"I do. It was your inner demon. That's perfectly normal, though. The only thing that wasn't so normal was the fact that your shadow revealed itself so early in the time you've been a vampire. Months, maybe, but not days. There's something odd about you, Nightingale, and I plan to find out what."  
I stayed quiet, before I muttered,

"I'm sorry for biting you. It won't happen again."

"I hope not..." Then he paused, smirking mischievously. "Hold out your arm."  
I hesitantly held out my arm.

"Usually I wouldn't have to punish my fledglings," he said, getting up from his seat and walking towards me. When he got to me, he kneeled down. I frowned. _Even when he did this, he was still considerably taller than me._ "But it seems you don't know your place. And for that reason..."  
His teeth sharpened and clamped around my arm painfully.

"Alucard...what are you-!" I winced, as I felt them sink to the bone, where they stopped for a moment. It was a moment of torture. Alucard pulled away, licking the blood on his lips, standing up,

"I'm your master, not the other way around. Now run along, like a good little servant."  
I scowled at him, nursing my injured arm, and then I left. I heard him chuckling behind me.

* * *

When I got back to my room, Edmund was laying out a bowl and a blood transfusion on a table.  
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry, Miss Nightingale, but it's Master Alucard's direct orders."

"Hmph. You suck, you know?"

He looked up from what he was doing, and gave me a hurt look,  
"Really?"

I shrugged, and sadness was clear on his face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I wanted this job desperately," he murmured, "For a long time. My dream was to serve Integra Hellsing. And...it hurts me to know that I suck at it."

"I didn't mean that!" I said, "I...I was kinda joking. You're an awesome butler!"

"You think so?" He looked up at me like a puppy would do to his master.

"Mm-hm! I know so."

"Thanks," he smiled. He straightened his back, and bowed, "Good evening, Miss Nightingale."

"Good evening, Edmund."

* * *

**A/N Who was that mysterious vampire that saved Hope? (Not Alucard, in case ya' wonderin'). And why is Hope so strong without drinking blood?**

**This isn't one of those fanfics where the main character is unusually talented for the sake of the story and for the pleasure of the author. I have a plan...and it won't take place unless I get those reviews every chapter. Please. At least one per chappy? Pretty pwease?**


	5. Chapter 5

"So do you even know how to load a gun?" asked Paul, one of the mercenaries.

"Uh, let's think about it," I said, "I'm fifteen, and never had to use a gun before- HOW ABOUT 'NO'?"

Gareth rolled his eyes,

"You're fifteen? Gees."

"What?" I frowned, "You got a problem with my age?"

"You're _fifteen_." All of the mercenaries spoke in unison. I scowled,

"Whatever. Just tell me how to load this damned AK47!"

* * *

I found my iPod in my dressing gown pocket, along with some money, earbuds, and a few tissues. Bored, I sat on the main stairs, flicking through the songs.

"Yoink!" Gareth grabbed the iPod from my hands.

"Hey!" I complained. Gareth grinned, throwing it to Jack, who threw it to Anthony. They began to chant a song:

"_Hopeless Hope! Hopeless Hope_!" More of them joined in until the whole group of Wild Geese began throwing my iPod around. They added a few lines as I hopelessly jumped about, trying to catch it between throws:  
"_Jump, little virgin, jump! Hump, Mr Paladin, Hump!_"

I shrieked in embarrassment and anger as they started to chase me around the mansion, singing that sick song.  
"JUST REMEMBER WHO THE FUCKING VAMPIRE IS!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY?!"

I charged into Sir Integra's office, leading the Wild Geese. Alucard and Edmund were stood in front of Integra's desk, and Integra was sat behind it. They looked like they were having a very important conversation, reading their faces and and listening to their tone.

Alucard, who was talking before we noisily charged in, sent us the most annoyed look possible.

"_Mister Alucard siiirr_!" I wailed, _"Edmund sirrr_! These pigs are sexu-this is sexual harassment! And they stole my iPod!"

Inetgra sighed. Alucard frowned. But Edmund chuckled, and muttered,

"Oh, God..."

To my horror, the mercenaries added yet another verse to the song:  
_"Mr Paladin and Hope sitting in a car. Are they naked? Yes they are!_"

I cried out in anger and grabbed Paul by the collar, lifting him up a few inches, and pointing at him with an accusing finger,  
"You," I hissed, "iPod. Gimme."

He threw it to Jamie. I growled at them through gritted teeth, all as they laughed at my hopeless attempts,

"Grrrrrr...RRRRRRRR!"

My annoyance bubble burst and Jamie suddenly rose to the air. The mercenaries went silent, staring at him as he began dribbling blood from his nose.  
"Give. It. _Back._" I glared at him, and a pulse of power ran suddenly through my veins . My voice echoed eerily around the room, as I suddenly felt stronger.

"Miss _Nightingale_!" Edmund attempted to get my attention, but just concentrated on Jamie. He was choking now.

"ENOUGH!" barked Alucard. I returned to reality, and Jamie dropped to the floor. He crawled back up, coughing. The Wild Geese bowed in apology, and rushed out of the room, faster than what seemed humanly possible. I grinned nervously, before yelling behind me,

"JAMIE! IF YOU DON'T GIVE MY IPOD BACK THIS MINUTE, SO HELP ME GOD I'LL TEAR YOU HEAD FROM YOUR BLOODY SHOULDERS!"

_Yet the bastards still torment me, despite what just happened. Ah, oh well..._

* * *

After a while of chasing them, I couldn't be bothered. But luckily, Seras could.

"You!" she said to the mercenaries, "Give that back to her."

"Aw, come on, Seras! Why?" sneered Anthony, "We're having fun!"

_"Do as she says..._" echoed a voice tinted with a French accent, _"It's not nice to take candy from a baby._"

Paul and Anthony's eyes widened, and they straightened their backs, saluting,  
"Yes, Captain Bernadotte!"

Anthony threw me my iPod and then the group went elsewhere. I stared at Seras,

"Um...who was that?" I asked, nervously. Seras grinned,

"That was Captain Bernadotte."

"But you drank from him! How could he...?"

"Taking blood is one thing. Being _offered _blood, however, is a completely different experience. Mr Bernadotte lives inside me- he is a part of me."

I blinked, "Wow."

I noticed her arm._Why had I never noticed her arm?_

Her arm was covered in a black, red, and dark pink matter.

"Seras..." I said,"Your...arm..."

She grinned, and I stared in horror as a man's torso and head rose up from her arm. He was a man in his twenties or thirties, with long brown hair tied in a plait. He wore an eyepatch on one eye, and his other shone a bright shade of apple green. He wore a half-folded brown fedora on his head, and a cigarette rest between his smirking lips.

"Ahh, so this is Hope, then, yes?" he said, his accent French. He laughed at my expression, "I'm Pip Bernadotte. Nice to meet you." He held out a gloved hand. I nervously took it and shook it. He laughed again, "Ahah! Ma cherie! She's just like you before you drank my blood!"

Then, he disappeared.

"...Still against drinking blood?" Seras asked, smirking. I nodded. Suddenly, the room began to spin,

"Seras..." I moaned,"Miss Victoria, I don't feel so good."  
My head throbbed as I gripped her arms. She held mine, helping me stay stood up,  
"Hope, what's wrong?" she asked, alarmed.

"I-I don't know... "

"Okay, sit down."

She sat me down, and placed a hand on my forehead.

"Nnng, do vampires even get flu?" I asked.  
"Actually, I'm not sure..."she placed two fingers at the back of my neck, checking my temperature.

"Is everything all right in here?" asked a familiar clear voice. Edmund entered the room, holding a tray with a teacup, saucer, bowl of sugar and a teapot on it.

"Something's not right with Hope," explained Seras. Edmund made a noise of surprise, and set down the tray,

"Miss Nightingale."

I looked at the butler who was now standing before me.  
"Open wide," he instructed. I did so, and he peered into my mouth."Hm."

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing. That's the thing. And what are the symptoms, miss?"

"Headache, dizziness, tummy ache..." I counted them off with my fingers.

"Drink," commanded a voice. Alucard floated into the room through a wall, grinning,"Your body is starving. I suggest you drink blood now, before you make yourself suffer."

"No," I replied, firmly. He bared his teeth,  
"You're an idiot."

I narrowed my eyes at him,  
"Sorry,_ sir_, but I don't want to. Do you understand how big this deal is for me? Blood is the currency of the soul- to drink blood is to suck the essence out of someone. Why would I want to do that?"

"Because you are a vampire. Vampires drink blood. A vampire that doesn't is illogical and a waste of blood themselves. So will you drink, or will you be a waste?"

I scowled. He frowned, and looked at Seras,

"Seras."

"Master?"

"Our Master wishes to see us. It's very...important. Best hurry."

"Master."

They were gone in a flash.

"Your vampiric powers are oddly strong," commented Edmund, tilting his head in curiosity, "Are you sure you haven't-"  
The look on my face answered his question.  
"Ah. My apologies, Miss."

"That's okay," I paused. "So...what's going on? What's this thing about me being strong? Am I?"

"Indeed you are. You already have your telekinesis powers, and Alucard says your shadow revealed itself."

"My...shadow?"

"Allow me to explain. Your shadow is a what makes you a vampire. It's the most powerful thing a vampire has- it lets you regenerate, and it's a deadly weapon- it can do many things. It's only been known to reveal itself when a vampire drinks blood from a human for the first time. And you say you've drank not even one drop. This event is rare, and extremely unusual."

"O-oh," was all I could say.

There was silence for a few moments.  
"Now, if you don't mind, I must go and make Sir Integra some tea," Edmund bowed, and left.

I stood there, thinking.

_So I was a _powerful _vampire? And without drinking any blood? What's going on? Did Alucard or Seras know what was going on? Was this normal?  
_

_No. Don't be ridiculous. Of course it wasn't- The people at Hellsing had made that clear. _

My head began to spin again.

_Maybe I should drink the blood? __Maybe I should have just a taste? __Just a bit, though..._

* * *

I nervously entered the blood cellar_. Yes, Hellsing had a blood cellar._

It was a dark, cold room built from stone. There were wine racks full of bottles of (probably) blood, but at the back of the room, there were several large fridges.

I slowly walked towards them, and opened the one of the far right. Inside were dozens and dozens of packets of medical blood, each of them labelled with the blood type. I shakily picked out one reading 'A+', and tore the seal off it, bringing it to my lips...

I sighed, placing the medical blood down. _I couldn't bring myself to do it. I had do, though? What good was I if I didn't? That's somebody's life juice. And you're going to drink it. How foolish._

I didn't realise that I had tears streaking my cheeks, until a certain someone pointed it out,

"There's no use crying over spilt milk, Nightingale," he said. I looked over at him, surprised and annoyed, and wiped my eyes. "You've already admitted the fact that you're a monster. Why can't you act on it?"

"Because I still have a humane part inside me," I muttered. To my surprise, he didn't say anything against that. Instead he asked,

"Why do you not frequently address me as 'Master'? That is what I am. You should show some respect."

"Why do you not call me by my first name? I'm not a bird!"

"Only when you drink the blood I shall call you 'Hope'. Until then, you're a Little Nightingale."

"Fine. Unless your call me 'Hope', I won't call you 'Master'."

"You don't make those kind of decisions." Alucard frowned. I smirked,

"I believe I just did."

"Do I have to bite you again?"

He was serious. I shook my head, and left, before anything else could be said. I heard a fed up sigh behind me.

* * *

When I got back to my room, the table was laid out with an ice bucket with some medical blood resting on it. There was also a note written in an elegant, italic way:

_You failed the first time, Nightingale. Try again._

_~No-Life King._

I roared out in anger, swiping the bucket with my arm. I stood there, taking breaths as I attempted to calm down. Then, I yelled out,

"Do you really think I'm going to give up my last bit of humanity?! Yes, I'm a monster, but I still want some of my human side left! Why can't you understand?! WHY?!"

There was no response. I slowly calmed down, relaxing my tense shoulders.

"You were human once, Alucard," I muttered, "A long time ago, I'm guessing. But you were human. Surely you must have _some _understanding..."

* * *

It was midnight, so of course I was wide awake. Fed up, I sat in my usual place- at the bottom of the main staircase.

_I was bored._

My attention went to a man who walked past me. I'd never seen him around before. He was topless, wearing only a pair of black combat trousers. He was quite, if not, very toned. He had long, layered grey and white hair. His eyes were bright gold, and he had a square jaw.

"Um...hello..." I said, nervously.

He turned around, and gave me a small smile with a kind gaze.

"Good evening, Sullivan," Integra said, stepping down the stairs.

Sullivan nodded once at her.

"Wait..." I said, "Sullivan? What?"

"I'm what's known as a 'werewolf'," replied Sullivan.

"W-werewolf?!"

Intgra laughed. Sullivan's smile widened, as in a cloud of white smoke, he turned back into a husky, and he playfully pounced on me, nudging my face with his noise. I felt weird. This was a man. A well-built man nudging my face. _But he was a dog!_ Sullivan winced for attention. I petted his big, furry head.

"Fine," I grumbled, "I'll play. C'mon."

_So...I was now a part of an organisation where they fight monsters with vampires and werewolves. Okay. Wow._

* * *

**General POV**

_Somewhere in Paris..._

The room was dark, and the stone walls were dressed in overturned crosses, and many old religious paintings. About three dozen stunning women with hungry crimson eyes stood in an orderly fashion in the large space, as if waiting for their leader to command them. Their quiet whispering silenced completely as two dark figures entered the room. Both were the figures of men- one was considerably taller than the other, but the smaller man was of a bigger build. Both men had pleased grins on their faces, but it was hard to tell why: _were they pleased that they had lots of attractive women that were willing to do whatever for them?_ _Or was it what they were planning to with them that pleased them?_

They were Grade A vampires. Their names were Darius and Hian.

"Ladies... my servants..." Hian spoke with a smooth voice, "You know what the plan is. You know who we want. You know who's in the way. You know what you are, and what you can do. You know what position you're all in." He started pacing the lengths of the room, "I will put you in groups, and then you shall act on your orders. Darius and I do not want to be disappointed. Attack Hellsing. Kill Seras Victoria, the one who calls himself Alucard, and Integra Hellsing. But do not kill Hope Nightingale. Bring her back here alive."

"A little warning," added the one called Darius,"Seras and Alucard will be a challenge. Especially Alucard. Try to come back..._alive._ Unlike that poor girl I sent over last time._"_

"Yes, Master!" The women grinned, revealing their pointed teeth.

"You four!" Darius pointed to three women in the front row, "Attack the Hellsing headquarters. If the mercenaries get in the way, _slaughter them."  
_

* * *

_Everyone began to leave._

"Hey, Darius_!"_ called Hian, "Are you okay? Aren't ya coming?"

"Yes..."Darius replied, "I'll catch you up...I just need to..._pay my respects._"

Hian shrugged,"Whatever..."

Dairus smiled to himself.

Everyone were such fools. The vampire whores he and Hian had bitten and brainwashed with pretty words...no...

The real fool was Hian. This whole plan was just for Darius' personal reasons. Though, of course, no one dare question a Grade A vampire, therefore so far, the plan had been acted out as easy as pie.

"I'm coming for you, Hope," Darius grinned, "_I _will_ have you..."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hope's POV.**

_That werewolf...Sullivan- I started to grow quite fond of him. He was quiet...but he was good company. At least I had a friend._

_Although, he loved to torment me. _

In his dog form, Sullivan pounced on me, just as Alucard was walking past us. He then turned into a human when he was licking my face. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. _Sullivan was licking me in front of Alucard. _Too add, the werewolf was shirtless. I felt my nose begin to bleed in embarrassment.

_Oh, God._

"Okay, Sullivan- uh, a little too far, you idiot." I pushed him off, wiping my nose, and he smirked. I glanced at Alucard, who made a noise of disgust, but continued on heading to wherever he was going. _"_You're not mostly a dog...licking me in your human form is a bit weird," I added. Sullivan laughed,

"That's the point. You're so funny when you're freaked out. Ow-" I bonked him hard on the nose.

"Bad dog," I chided.

He laughed again, turning back into a dog.

* * *

It was about midnight. I was going to talk to Seras, when Alucard confronted me.  
"You," he said, his voice hard, "My Master has instructed me to train you."

"Train me? Train me in what?"

"You can't control your powers. All you have to do is get frustrated and then you explode."

"Fine," I muttered. Alucard smirked,

"You say that like you had a choice," he sneered.I grit my teeth as he indicates for me to follow him.

* * *

His chambers. That big, dark stone room. Like each time before, it gave off an eerie feeling which I strongly disliked.

"You can't accept yourself," said Alucard, "You can't control yourself. You refuse to admit what you really are. You're an extraordinary being- embrace it."

I stayed silent. The other vampire grinned menacingly,

"In these sessions I'll show you how real vampires fight, and try to teach you how to use your powers. I promise- I won't go lightly on you."  
He raised his hands, and whilst they were level with his face, he drew them backwards.

"Releasing Control Art Restriction Systems 3...2...1. Approval of situation A recognized; commencing the Cromwell Invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the opponent has been defeated..."

The pentagrams on his gloves glowed, and the room suddenly started hissing. Alucard's shadow pulled itself out of him- a black and red mass of danger. Maddened eyes covered the walls, and Alucard's shadow started waving about. Suddenly, it grabbed me by the ankle, and threw me into the furthest wall. Some of the stonework crumbled, as I felt blood dampen my clothes.

"What the hell?!" I yell, as I manage to get back up.

His shadow goes over me, tightening, squeezing me. I feel a few bones crack as I rasp for breath. He throws me, and I hit the floor hard. I'm embraced by sheer pain, and I resist the urge to start crying.

"Y-you're supposed to be teaching me!" I shout, gritting my teeth in agony, "Not beat the shit out of me!"  
Alucard chuckled,

"You need to be disciplined," he said, his voice more gravelly than usual, "You also need to be pushed. An enemy won't go easy on you, but you still need to be able to control yourself. Something you cannot do- and if beating the shit out of you does so then _so be it_! "

He strides over to me and grabs me by the hair, forcing me to look at him,  
"Well?" he demanded,"When are you going to fight back? Are you just going to let me beat you?"

I whimper. He growls, throwing me again. I feel something break, but by that time, I was in so much pain I couldn't tell which limb it was. I take a few deep breaths as he waits for me to recover myself. _I know I can't beat him, but I can still try. I can still tr_y.

I glare up at him. Concentrating as hard as I could, I found my shadow. It was no-where as strong as his, but I still found it.

_Ahhh, I remember. I've seen it before. That strange green and blue aura that revealed itself the last time I fought with him. __But it looks different now. There's black in it. Heh. It looks more menacing._

Surprise painted Alucard's face. He then smiled,  
"Good... Attack me!"

I push my shadow along the floor. Morphing it into spear-like shapes, I try to impale Alucard. He dodges my attacks swiftly, and sends his shadow through mine. Mine tears apart, and I suddenly was in pain again.

I whine, feeling my heartbeat speed up in fear. Alucard wore a terrifying expression- his eyes were wide and wild, his teeth were bared and sharp, an his nostrils were flaring. His clothes were different, I also noted. He wore a black straight jacket with broken bounds.

"You're...insane..." I hissed. Alucard lets out a loud laugh,

"HAH! HAHA! And what does that make you- you who shares my blood, you who are my Draculina, my student, my family? If I'm insane... Then so must you be."

I snarled at him, feeling my demons kick in.

My shadow fixed itself and attacked him. Like before, he dodged out of the way, but I was merely using my shadow as a distraction. I ran through it, and without him expecting it, I slammed my fist hard into the other vampire's gut.

_And I mean hard._

I felt a warm, wet liquid spray onto my face as Alucard spewed out blood. He laughed again,  
"So you prefer to use hand to hand combat instead of the gifts I gave you?" he said, his voice rough but excited,"So be it!"

A gloved hand smashed into my jaw twice with a great force. I was booted in the stomach, and elbowed in the back of the neck.

I struggled to get up, shaking in pain as blood streaked my face. I coughed and spluttered and gasped for air. I attempted to hit him again, but he grabbed my arm, and snapped it against his leg. My mouth hung open, letting out a silent scream.

"Please," I begged,"No more..." I looked up to him with pleading eyes."No more."

I yelped as I was lifted by the throat.

"'No more'?" he mimicked."You would be dead by now anyway. Tsch. All in all, you're no good- you don't cry like you should...yet you stand up for yourself only when you're forced...and then you give up. Huh. Giving up is what kills people, Nightingale."

I whimper. He sighed, and dropped me. I wiped the blood from my face, as well as tears, and when I looked back at him, he was wearing his usual attire. The room had returned back to normal.

"You can go. But come back the same time tomorrow."

"Y-yes..."

I cough again, as I exit the chamber, trying to recover myself. My ribs began to fix themselves, but I still had a fractured jaw, and a snapped arm.

On my way back, I came across Seras and Edmund, who by the sound of things,were talking about the most effective way to kill a ghoul. Seras gasped when she saw the state of me- bruised and bleeding.

"Hope!" She rushed over to me, and stared at me worriedly,"W-who- what happened?!"

"Alucard..." I muttered.

Seras' face turned confused,  
"Master did this?" she asked, "But he would never..."

"Might I just say," said Edmund, "Sir Integra ordered Alucard to teach, or to 'train' Hope, seeing as she can't control her powers- No offence, Miss Nightingale."

"S-some taken."

"Ah..." sighed Seras, "Something has been annoying Master lately. I can tell. He's been more agitated than usual..."

"_Really_?" I asked, sarcasm stinging my tongue, "I had no idea."

* * *

I turned and tossed in my coffin. I couldn't get comfortable at all. By then, my wounds from the previous night had completely healed. My jaw hurt a little, and so did my arm, but that was it.

I sighed, opening the lid of my coffin. I rubbed my eyes sleepily, and stretched a little, but then I noticed something was wrong. The room was blank white. I rubbed my eyes again. The only thing which changed this time was the fact I heard a noise somewhere. Like...a little boy crying. I slowly climbed out of my coffin, nervously looking to find the source of the noise, and I did.

A boy, about fifteen or fourteen, with blonde hair, wearing a muddy yellow shirt, dark shorts, and...

A Nazi armband.

And he had grey cat ears.

_What the fuck?_

He had his knees tucked to his chest, and he was snivelling. I couldn't see his face.

"Um...excuse me?" I said, approaching the boy, "Are...are you okay?"

He suddenly snapped his head around, and his eyes glowed red, and he showed his teeth. His ears drew back, and he hissed menacingly. I put my palms up,  
"Hey now," I backed away slightly, "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Nien? You're...you're not?" he asked, like he was surprised.

"No... why? What's wrong?"

He didn't reply. He just stared at me nervously.

"What's...what's your name?" I asked.

"Schrodinger. Vhat is yours?"

"Hope," I replied. There was a few moments of silence. "Who wants to hurt you?"

Schrodinger winced,  
"Alucard." He then curled up again, "I'm so confused...I don't know vhere I am...I don't know who I am...vhat's going on...?"

He started crying again. I put an arm around him, and he tensed.

"Why does Alucard want to hurt you?" I asked, softly.

"Thirty years ago... the second Blitz of London... I vas told by my Major to cut off my head and mix my blood viv Alucards so I could kill him...so my Major could complete his objective. It verked...for only a few weeks. Alucard began to kill ze lives inside of him. All apart from me. It took him twenty years to kill ze millions of lives, and zen for another ten years till now, he hurt me, and hunted for me. He...he..." Schrodinger didn't finish.

This boy was a Nazi. This boy was the enemy. But I pitied him...I felt sorry for him.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Inside his head."  
I stared at him,  
"What?"

"You're inside his head..."

_How did I manage to get inside Alucard's head? What's happening? I don't understand. _

"It's going to be okay," I told Schrodinger. "I...I promise you."

"Vhy are you being nice to me?" he asked, "I'm ze enemy!"

"I don't care...you're just a boy."

"Vhat about you? You're just a girl."

I woke up, confused. Really confused. Had I been asleep? Was that just ... a pointless dream?

* * *

**_The same time the next night._**

I forgot.

I totally forgot about Alucard's session.

I was taking a nap on the top of my coffin, quite comfortable because of the cushions I'd on the lid. It was a first time in a while that I was that happy. Well, until a certain someone woke me up.

"You forgot..." hissed a voice. I let out a little sleepy moan, moving my head. There was a growl. "_You forgot about our appointment, after the lesson I gave you_ _yesterda_y..."

I peeked open an eye to see an annoyed pair of crimson eyes with shadows under them. I let out a startled noise,  
"Ah. Um..." I blinked at him.

"You forgot, Nightingale."

_"Yeah..._Uh...sorry about that..." I stretched my legs, grunting, "I guess I did."

"I don't like to have my time wasted," Alucard growled, "You're so careless."

I watched as his eyes darkened even more, and I winced. I suddenly remembered what Seras had said about Alucard being more agitated than usual.  
"Your carelessness pisses me off..." My arm was grabbed. "_It pisses me off to hell!"_

We were suddenly in his chambers. As soon as I processed where we were, I was smashed to the ground with his shadow. Again. And again. And again. I didn't have time to recover. It was like I was his chew toy, or stress ball. _He was throwing me around because he was stressed. That's not fair at all._

It came to a point where I could stand it no longer.

"STOP IT!" I shouted, my voice echoing across the walls. I tore away from his shadow. "Stop it..."

"_You_ don't give the orders." He made a swipe for my head, but I dipped out of the way.

"Yeah, well it's not fair to use me as a stress toy! Taking things out on others is _not okay.__" _I dodged anther swipe.

He raised an eyebrow, and appeared to have calmed down a bit.  
"You didn't seem to take that to account when you took it out on that mercenary."

I bared my teeth at him, "Just stop taking you annoyance out on me! What has you so pissed off anyway?! Why don't you just tell me?!"

Alucard suddenly slammed his fist into the wall, and his gaze turned extremely dangerous. I winced, and he started to slowly walk towards me, backing me into a wall.  
"If you do not learn how to curb your tongue," he said, his voice calm,"Then I'll have to bite you again. And you don't want that, do you?"

He leaned over me,  
"Actually," he continued, with using barely a whisper, "I think a 'little nip' on the neck will teach you for sure."

I began to tremble as his fangs elongated. He brushed my hair onto one shoulder, and pushed my head lightly as his teeth neared my throat. I let out a whine when they sunk into the skin. _Hard_. I tried to squirm, but his firm grip kept me still.

I felt the sensation of sucking, as his teeth went in further. I gripped at his arm tightly at the pain, until he finally stopped. He wiped the blood from his chin, and I stumble about, due to the sudden lack of blood.

"Go," he said, "I'll let you know when you can return here. I'll try to be..._easier _on you."

I turned to go. But then I stopped,  
"_Sir? _" I said, "Who is Schrodinger?"

Alucard stared at me,  
"What did you just say?"

"Who is Schrodinger?"

"How do you know about that damned cat?"

"I...I..."

"_Nightingale._"

"He's just a boy..." I say, "Barely older than me. Why do you have to be so horrible to him."

"He's a Nazi."

"So?" Foolish choice of words.

Rage filled Alucard's eyes, and he gritted his teeth in anger,  
"'_So'? _Did you even pay attention to your history lessons? The Holocaust? London, thirty years ago? The Nazis massacred millions of people, for the purpose of their own satisfaction. And that cat...that cat was one of the main perpetrators!"

I shrunk under his gaze.  
"Don't just say 'he's just a boy..." he continued, "Because he's also a Nazi. I have no idea how you know about him, but I'd advise you to treat him with caution if you ever come across him again. He's a sneaky bastard who is also persistent. Do not make any deals with him, and do not help him if he asks for it."

"S-sorry..."  
"You should be."  
I left.


End file.
